{"id":18749,"date":"2021-09-24T12:13:08","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T12:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/?p=18749"},"modified":"2025-05-08T21:27:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T21:27:10","slug":"what-is-a-watering-hole-attack-module-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/what-is-a-watering-hole-attack-module-5\/","title":{"rendered":"What is A \u201cWatering Hole\u201d Attack: Module 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

This cybersecurity term is analogous to a predator and the method in which they target their prey. The predator has an easier target when their unsuspecting victim is in a well known and frequently visited spot, where the prey\u2019s guard is down, aka the \u201cwatering hole\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s targeting an existing website or a new one, a cybercriminal is looking for a larger audience of potential victims that share an interest in the website. While spear phishing<\/a> targets one individual, this is a higher-impact method, as it traps more victims.<\/span><\/p>\n

The main methods of carrying out a <\/span>watering hole attack are the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Acquire the victim\u2019s username and password combinations in hopes they reuse them<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Gain access to the victim\u2019s business computer and further infect the network<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How Does It Work?<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Watering hole attacks<\/b> need planning, as the hacker needs to make a set of actions to achieve results. Here\u2019s how it works:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The cyberattackers define their targets by business type, company name, job title, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. They find out what sites their targets visit the most<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. The threat actor creates a look-alike website or tries to infect the existing one<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. When the user visits the site, malicious code is loaded\u00a0 on their system<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. The cybercriminal uses the dropped malware to initiate the attack<\/span><\/li>\n
    6. As the attacker has access to the victim\u2019s network, they can now launch a pivot attack to achieve other goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      How to Prevent a Watering Hole Attack?<\/b><\/h2>\n

      While spear phishing is more targeted, <\/span>watering holes can cause more damage. Therefore, protecting the company and individual employees should be a priority. Here are a few steps you can take to stay on top of cybersecurity threats.<\/span><\/p>\n